


Accord

by Itineri



Series: Sound in the key of life. [4]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 19:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12239559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itineri/pseuds/Itineri
Summary: Conversation between the two as the broach the idea of datingTakes place after Objects at Rest in my Sounds in the Key of Life series.I don't own the characters only my daydreams.I don't have a beta reader. feel free to message any mistakes you see.





	Accord

Locks guard secrets, Keys open locks.  
The holder of keys becomes the keeper of the secrets.  
Who holds your keys?  
Did you give them willingly?  
Or where they gone before you even realized they were missing?  
Do you want them back?  
Or are you glad to be released of the burden of holding your own secrets?

 - Niamh Umia, 2009

This time of year the sun had just set. The golden glow glinted off the frame of his glasses as they walked the street. The sidewalks was somewhat busy. Other couples walking and talking. Some children laughing running in front or behind their parents. Vala had not figured out what to say after they left O’Malley’s. After a bit she found she didn't actually want to talk. Her hand was resting on his forearm much like it had when they were pretending to be that poor married couple a galaxy away. His other hand resting on her hand his thumb absently stroking the back of her hand.

After a few block they arrived at a park. Families could be seen packing up. He ushered her to a bench that faced the where the sun had just gone down. They simply held hands watching the last rays turning the sky a darker orange on it’s way surrendering to the darkness of night.

“You are quiet.” He finally said his head tilted slightly as he turned to look over at her.

“I’m pretty sure I said enough yesterday. If I start talking now I’ll be, as you say, yammering in no time flat.” She curled her lower lip in, biting it to stop the flow of nervous words.

She wasn’t looking at him, instead she was watching the darkening sky. “I” he started slowly “Feel on some level,” he paused pushing his glasses up his nose. “I owe you an apology.”

She tensed up. Taking a slow breath in she looked to her feet. Her painted toes in the wedge sandals suddenly sparkled more as the park lamp turned on. “An apology, Daniel,” She could feel her heart began to pound as the adrenaline kicked in. Instead of feeling euphoric she was feeling as if she were cornered, defeated with no possible escape. Thoughts raced. _Why? Because we were too busy earlier today we didn’t ‘talk’? Because I made an ass of myself yesterday and you’re trying to find a clear, concise way to tell me so without hurting the team? Because you don’t have feelings for me? Because I screwed any chance I might have had last year?_ Her mind going warp speed. Finally she said. “Why do you think you do?” She withdrew her hand from his. She folded them both hands resting her lap. The fingers weaving themselves as she sat there braced for what she suspected would be the real outcome. _Well, Vala, I’m flattered that you have these feelings for me. But no. What you want isn’t possible with me. I don’t trust you. You’ve come a long way but not far enough to make up for what you did to me. To this galaxy._  Her inner demons were getting the better of her. She brought up a hand to smooth a lock behind an ear. The inner monolog kept going louder and louder. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath trying to clear her mind. Finally she heard him cleared his throat.

“Vala. You missed what I said.” There it was again. His hand. Under her chin guiding it to face him. He did this so many times. She brought her eyes up to look into those blue eyes that never missed any sin she committed. Her own grey eyes grew wide as she noticed something else in them: a glimmer of hope. Her mind finally stilled and the whole universe seemed to stop for her. She breathed in slowly. The soft small smile on his lips emboldened her to smile back as she breathed outward trying to get a grip. _Where is my game face??_ “I’m sorry. Please repeat it” She looked at him in the yellow-orange light of the lamp.

“I’ve been, in some way unwittingly blind to who you’ve become. Parts of me still held onto the Vala I first met.” His eyes holding her’s for a moment before he continued. “Not the woman I’ve come to depend on professionally and personally.  And for that I’m sorry.”

“It’s Noth-” She started waving her hand as if to push the words away. Whatever he was getting at she was sure it was a rebuff of her offer yesterday. She took a ragged breath trying to hold back the tears. He grabbed that hand and reached for the other in her lap. Now he was holding both of them. Her features set in utter confusion. For once in her life she was at a lost as what to say. So she put as much meaning into the one word she could say “Daniel?”

“It is very much Something. I pride myself in understanding cultural nuances and yet something as blatant as the glasses on my face escaped my notice sometimes. And until recently I didn’t even notice you were hurting. And that I might be the cause of that hurt.”

The lapsed into silence again just looking at each other.  The darker orange had given away to the deeper blues with just a glow on the horizon giving any indication that the sun had even been there.

“To be fair I had not realized it until I was broadsided with it when dealing Aziru and the recall device. I thought I was so much better than I was back when I regained ownership of my body. But then I realized, in other ways I was so not better.” She dropped her gaze. “I’m not sure even if I can be what you need or you what I need. But until we try, we won’t know.” She tilted her head. Trying to be braver than she felt she gave a broad smile. “Daniel, we have to at least try.” There it was that quiver in her voice as she fought to keep the storm of emotions she was feeling at bay. She was oh so tempted to throw on her game face. But Sam’s advice to keep it real echoed in her mind.

“I meant what I said back there at O’Malley’s, it really won't be easy.” He looked down for a moment while taking in a deep calming breath. A random insight flashed through his mind _keep it real._ He was sure it came from her. He shot her a side glance. And she was looking at the the horizon. A deep purple into indigo as the first stars began to peek out. The moon had yet to rize. After a while he added. “I am willing to try. However, I need something from you.” She turned to face him on the bench one leg brought up between them laying on the side, the other still on the ground. She turned her hands in his so that they were now holding them equally. “I need to know you won't run. T-t-t-t-that you talk to me no matter how insignificant you think a feeling is or an impulse might be. Promise me you will talk to me first.”

In a low voice soft with unexpressed feelings she responded with an openness that he actually only glimpsed at before.“I’ve been here, not running since you I met you. I tried to run once, remember. The day I got my SG-1 Patch. But I can’t. I tried to burn you out of my system before I ever found that Avalon treasure map. But that didn’t happen. For good or bad, I am here.” She paused realizing she had not answered him directly.  She sat up taller and a pure MalDoran Megawatt smile light up her face. “I promise not to run and further promise to talk with you, truthfully first about anything” Her gray eyes glinted when she added truthfully. He chuckled at her wording. They fell quiet again. Night was now fully on. Another couple walked on the path by their bench.

The comfortable silence lasted longer until his brow knitted at the top. His lips thinned.  “Wait... What did you mean burn me out?”

“I thought you just some random fellow who fought better than me. To this day I don’t know why I kissed you the first time. That was my downfall.” her lips curled as she gazed past him recalling the time. “I meant to distract you. But then you kissed me back and then there was a 3rd. I got scared.  Never before had I been undone so deeply. You called me a fruitcake and that broke the spell long enough. I head-butted you out of fear. I don’t think you want to hear my exact method of trying to burn you out of my mind. Suffices to say my methods failed me. Booze, Braun, Broads, and any blending of the 3.  Didn’t work.”

She paused to see what effect it had on him. His brows arched above his glasses in mild surprise. He didn’t let got of her hands. She took it as a good sign to continue. “So in launched the great Mal Doran Plan. I spent 6 weeks hunting down that tablet to Avalon. In that time I could not stop thinking of you. I ran too. Taking any job I coudl get that busied me while I waited for information. But I couldn’t run from my mind. So I chased down rumors of an ancient tablet. There are many legends about The Taur’i and their homeworld. Even before you had the audacity to actually live up to many of them. WHen I finally bought the tablet, for a steal I might add. The fellow who sold it thought it was an ornate serving platter. I then got the bracelets.Thought I’d get some of the treasure at the end. Get rid of this thing that was building by seducing you.” Her one hand let go of his and made circling gestures to her diaphragm. “I’d be free again.” She smiled ruefully, falling quiet again.

“Didn’t work out” His brows rose above his glasses an almost condescending expression colored his face.

“No.” Her bottom lip pushed upward not quite a pout. “Not so much” She grinned closed mouth, shaking her head. The dark locks caressed her shoulders. “Not one of my better plans. Although it was the best treasure hall I’d ever found.” she added ruefully. 

“And Great Britain was very happy for that.” His cocky grin made her sigh in an exaggerated resigned way.

“Again, not my best plan. No treasure, not escape. In fact those bracelets made it much much worse.” There it was a new openness she had about her that seems to blossom forth. She tried very hard to sit there and not cover it up.

“Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. I’m not saying I want that again. But I doubt I would have gotten to know you better without the extended experience.“ He blew out a puff of air as he tried to put that part of their shared history in a somewhat of a positive light.

“Oh now who's lying?” she looked at him with a puzzle on her face,

“I’m not lying,.....” his brows contracted tightly “Just presenting the facts in their best light.” he grined enough that his dimpled winked.

“Yes the diplomate in you is very good with that i’ve noticed.” She attempted to look serious.

“On the job training. I used to be much more awkward.” He glanced at his watch

“I never intended to tell you any of that you know.” She said in a small voice. "It's scary being this truthful"

"My secret I wont tell a soul." his voice was soft barely above a whisper. "trade you a secret for a secret."

Her face was open and that tender facility he saw briefly a few times in the past was unmistakably there. "Alright. You don't have to"

"I know. This is scary for me too. Being open to this the chance to hurt again." This time it was he who looked away. The other couple seems to be turning at the end of the walk. His eyes followed them till they were out of sight.

"I wont tell a soul." She let go of his hand. He turned to catch her locking her lips and putting an imaginary key down her blouse.

He thinned his lips but humor lit his eyes. “Where ever did you earn that? Never mind I'm not sure I want to know.” he rose and offered her a hand up. “An another thing that is hard to believe. It’s time to get you home.”

“Would you mind talking me to Sam’s afterward. She won't be home for our down time and I promised. It will save the airman in the morning a drive. I’m already packed.“ She linked arms with him as they walked towards the park exit.

“Um, yeah, sure.I” he turned at the sound of a scuffle. “What is that”  he asked her knowing her Go’uld corrected vision was far superior to most humans.

“The couple that passed us earlier. a mugging I think” They both started to run. She kicked off her heels. She veered off to the side moving silently. He ran still making noise, in fact catching a clue from her, he made more noise. “You. stop there.” He made as much racket as he could without looking like he was making racket. Easy to pull off as he was dressed in bulkier clothing and hardly looked like he could take down a marine.

The taller man pulled the other to him. The mugger with his hand in the sweatshirt looked like he had a gun in the pocket. “Stop or I’ll shoot.” But even in this low light Daniel could tell the “muzzle” was not pointed in the right direction. “Woah, Woah, woah. Don’t do anything rash. Don’t kill him.”  He said looking at the Mugger directly.

“Play smart, Asshole, and I wont” The hooded figured sounded tense.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” He smirked at the mugger Just as Vala’s leg swiped knocking him over. She landed the follow through kick to the man’s groin. The high pitched yelp of pain made Daniel wince.

“See I didn’t kill him. Ye of little faith.” She smoothed her hair while Daniel searched the man.

“A flashlight. Are you both ok?” he asked the couple while he stood up.

The smaller man nodded and in a shaky voice asked. “How did you know he didn’t have a gun?” form the safety of the other’s arms.

“Aaah, Training” Daniel lied while thumbing his phone open.

“Calling the SF’s” She asked while hopping on one foot putting her shoe on.

“No, the civilian police.” He proceeded to answer the operator with the details.

“Oh He’s trained” the taller one said. The smaller one nodding. “Her too”

 

* * *

 

Many hours later in the middle of the night he stood outside her room at base. “Thank you for an eventful evening Ms Mal Doran.” His hand stroked her cheek as he licked his lips.

She stood at the door looking every bit as tired as he felt. Her hand on the one that was so deliciously warming her cheek. “Dr Jackson, is it proper for a lady to ask for a good night kiss?” the grin curled her lips while mischief sparkled in her eyes.

“As if you ever let that stop you.” He leaned in tiling her head up.

“Got that right, Dar—” her words stopped as he kissed her firm but with a hint of passion. The kiss broke and she looked up with a flushed face. “Goodnight Darling. See you in the morning.”

“Rest well, Vala” He turned towards his room as the door shut.  He was a few steps before he heard her squee threw the concrete. He shook his head no matter what the future held it was good to know she was still Vala.

  



End file.
